California

• Amador County
  • Shenandoah Valley
• Carmel Valley
• Carneros
• Central Coast
  • Edna Valley
  • Mt. Harlan
  • Paso Robles
• Contra Costa County
• El Dorado County
• Lake County
• Lodi
• Mendocino
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• Napa Valley
  • Atlas Peak
  • Best of Napa
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• North Coast
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  • Santa Ynez Valley
• Santa Cruz
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• Sierra Foothills
• Sonoma County
  • Alexander Valley
  • Bennett Valley
  • Best of Sonoma
  • Dry Creek Valley
  • Fort Ross/Seaview
  • Moon Mountain
  • Pine Mountain - Cloverdale Peak
  • Russian River Valley
  • Sonoma Coast
  • Sonoma Mountain
  • Sonoma Valley
  • Knights Valley

It was great to try this wine.  I was a buyer of this wine for a long time, but, it kind of fell off my radar (there are only so many high end bottles I can buy), but this is one to revisit.  It is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc.  purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar, blueberries, cloves, baking spices and slight char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is young but delicious.  Great texture.  Flavors of cassis, blueberries and black cherries with some cedar and spice.  Long finish.  This is deep a

Bottle No.

This is a very serious white from "Rhone" varietal producer, Saxum on California's Central coast.  One of the best white wines in the world being produced today.  It is a blend of 53% Grenache Blanc, 29% Roussanne, 15% Chenin Blanc, and 3% Chardonnay.  Light to medium gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great.  Enticing and complex.

It has been difficult but I finally managed to keep my hands off a bottle to let it get ten years of age.  The result?  It was fantastic but not necessarily better than it was at age 5, just different.  Golden in color, a bit deeper, clear and bright.  The nose is big and fresh with lemon curd, vanilla, minerality and spice.  Full bodied.  Great balance.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is deep and complex.  Flavors of vanilla lemon cream with some spice and minerals.  Delicious.  Contemplative.  What a great Chardonnay.  Great on its own but  probably better with food.  This would be e

Another very nice wine from Halter Ranch.  This rosé is a blend of 93% Grenache, 5% Picpoul Blanc, and 2% Syrah.  Salmon pink/orange in color, clear and bright.  The nose is "summertime" with strawberries, slight watermelon, slight rhubarb, and a touch of tangerine.  Medium bodied.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  flavors of strawberries, watermelons and slight bitter cherry (not in a bad way) notes.  Good finish.  This is nice on its own, but would work well with lighter dishes such as Tuna or Pasta Salad.  Drink now.  

Probably my favorite Napa Syrah.  It is made at the top of Mt.

This is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot from Napa.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black cherries, chocolate, tobacco, spice and earth.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Flavors of black cherries, cherries, forest floor and char.  Long finish.  This is deep and complex.  The layers unwind in the glass.  Still drinking youthfully, this should drink well for another fifteen to twenty years.  Great on its own, this is very food friendly.  It would work very well with Beef Stroganoff. 

This is "advertised" as the first Kabinett styled Riesling made in California.  Technically, that designation has more to do with the alcohol in the grape must and not the finished wine, but what I think they are saying is that they stopped the fermentation at a place that resulted in the finished wine being sweet but just perceptibly sweet.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is more about fruit with lemon and orange citrus, some apples, and a hint of pineapple.  Light bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet with orange peel and granny smith apples.  G

Another great Chardonnay from Rivers Marie.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with lemon, vanilla, oak spice, and slight minerality.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  Great balance and acidity.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Vanilla, lemon cream, slight grapefruit, spice and slight char.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is very young and will improve its score by a couple points with ageing but it is still very enjoyable right now.  Great on its own, it would work well with Salmon grilled on a Cedar Plank.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.

This is made by Eric Jensen of Booker Vineyards to honor his parents.  It is a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, and 10% Malbec.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, black cherries, cherries, blueberries, baking spice, slight tobacco and char.  A lot going on.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, there is also some varietal complexity.  Black cherries, cherries, cassis, spice and char.  Good finish.  This drinks easily and should continue for another fi